Stoneleigh-Burnham School Designated as a British Horse Society Testing Site

Stoneleigh-Burnham School is proud to announce that it has been certified as a testing site for the British Horse Society (BHS).

Becoming a testing site allows the Stoneleigh-Burnham Equestrian Center to offer a comprehensive program in the world-renowned BHS education and certification program.

“We have been teaching the British Horse Society certification program for nearly three years, and our equestrian center has already been designated as a BHS-approved facility, having met those high standards,” George Halkett, Director of the Equestrian Center, said. “Now, we can administer the qualifying tests for BHS right here on campus, which means we can provide riders with BHS certification from start to finish.”

In 2013, Stoneleigh-Burnham became the first and only U.S. secondary school to teach the world-renowned BHS certification program for riders. Long recognized internationally for setting the highest standards for riding instruction, stable management, and horse training, the BHS system complements Stoneleigh-Burnham’s dedication to providing students who aspire to careers in horsemanship with a firm academic footing at the high school level.

Stoneleigh-Burnham also became the first and only secondary school equestrian facility to achieve the prestigious designation as a BHS-approved Livery Yard, Riding School and Facility in 2013. The designation shows that the equestrian center has been assessed against detailed criteria and recognized as being well managed, offering first-rate care and high levels of horse husbandry, and showing general good practice throughout. In addition, it means that equestrian center staff has met the BHS high standards for training, qualification and safety.

BHS students who have trained under a licensed BHS instructor may take their exams here at Stoneleigh-Burnham. Students who enroll in the BHS program at Stoneleigh-Burnham study under Halkett. The school accepts BHS students from both its academic school and its community riding program.

Unlike existing certification programs in the U.S, the prestigious BHS certification is recognized in 32 countries worldwide. Graduates of the program are prepared to take their BHS international examinations to earn an international trainer’s passport, allowing them to begin equestrian careers in management roles across the globe. For particularly dedicated students, it will be possible to graduate with their high school diploma from Stoneleigh-Burnham and a full, certified international trainer’s passport through the BHS.

To learn more about the BHS at Stoneleigh-Burnham, contact George Halkett at ghalkett@sbschool.org or 413-774-2711.

Read more about the SBS Equestrian Center here. Learn more about community riding lessons here.